One of the things I don't seem to understand when it comes to poetry is why it is assumed they are about personal experiences.
For myself, I have only ever written one deeply personal piece of poetry. It has never been read by anyone because it is just that: personal. When I write poetry, I write about emotion, feeling, experience; but not my own. I don't feel the desire to do that.
The same comes with my fiction. I don't add personal details, try to insert myself into a story to express what I feel. If I do that, it's in my own personal journals, where no one will see them.
To me, allowing strangers to read highly personal information - even in the form of creative writing - feels violating. It would be like spilling my life story to someone I just met on the subway; illogical and unecessary.
But I also understand that other people see this differently. Poetry, for them, is about personal emotion.
I guess what I'm getting at in this, is that I'm tired of the assumption. There are several places I used to publish poetry that I no longer do so due to this.
Though, I have to say with a smile, if these pieces of poetry were all personal, then I'd have a lot more issues - both legally and emotionally - than I do now! I know my poetry isn't lighthearted and pleasant to read!
Well, this is my weekend-rant. Time to get back to writing, and fighting off the procrastination bunnies.
In a way, I think it's supposed to be a compliment. Most people think really good poetry /has/ to be personal to the writer, so that's why they assume your poems are personal :3
ReplyDeleteOMG, yes, if all your poems were really personal you'd need a straight jacket, lmao.
I know, and many people do write personal poetry. I guess it's more the automatic assumption that it's a personal poem/work that drives me nuts.
DeleteI agree. Considering I wrote that one where I stalked and killed someone... I think I'd not only be wearing a straight-jacket, I'd be wearing it inside of a prison cell...
LMAO.
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